1988 Seoul Olympic Games
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. They were also the fourth Olympic Games to be held in autumn. These were the last Olympic Games for two of the world's "dominating" sport powers, the Soviet Union and East Germany, as both ceased to exist before the next Olympic Games. North Korea, still officially at war with South Korea, and its allies, Albania, Cuba, Madagascar and Seychelles boycotted the games. For differing reasons, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and Albania (who declared an Olympic-record fourth consecutive boycott) did not participate in the Games. Format of Competition The gymnastics competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics was carried out in three stages: *Competition I - The team competition/qualification round in which all gymnasts, including those who were not part of a team, performed both compulsory and optional exercises. The top five scores per team on each exercise determined the final score of the team. The thirty-six highest scoring gymnasts in the all-around qualified to the individual all-around competition. The eight highest scoring gymnasts on each apparatus qualified to the final for that apparatus. *Competition II - The individual all-around competition, in which those who qualified from Competition I performed exercises on each apparatus. The final score of each gymnast was composed of half the points earned by that gymnast during Competition I and all of the points earned by her in Competition II. *Competition III - The apparatus finals, in which those who qualified during Competition I performed an exercise on the individual apparatus on which he or she had qualified. The final score of each gymnast was composed of half the points earned by that gymnast on that particular apparatus during Competition I and all of the points earned by her on that particular apparatus in Competition III. Each country was limited to three gymnasts in the all-around final and two gymnasts in each apparatus final. Results Notable Moments *In the team optionals, Soviet Olga Strazheva suffered an injury competing on balance beam. The Soviet team pressed on, winning the team gold medal, though Strazheva was absent from the medal ceremony. *Sixteen perfect tens were scored at these Olympics, seven apiece by Daniela Silivas and Elena Shushunova, and two by Dagmar Kersten. Controversy *During the compulsory round, while American Kelly Garrison-Steves performed on uneven bars, the team alternate, Rhonda Faehn, removed the springboard, then remained on the podium to watch her routine. By doing this, she broke a scarcely used rule in which only one person could be on the podium at a time during a routine, and incurred a half a point in neutral deductions for the USA. This ultimately cost them the bronze medal behind East Germany. Medal Count Category:Olympic Games Category:1988 Competitions